I have MS, and got refused PIP. Where do I stand in complaining about this?

Michaela91

Hi All. Just looking for advice. I have MS but also working, I applied for PIP and got refused. Someone I know suffers with "depression and anxiety" applied for PIP around the same time as me and got awarded. Where do I stand in complaining about this? Thank you. 

janer1967

Hi and welcome to the community 

Pip isnt awarded based on a diagnosis or condition it's about how your condition affects your ability to do the task against the 12 descriptors 

If you were refused you have the right to appeal the decision did you do this? 

You won't get anywhere complaining that someone got it and you didnt . Everyone is different and unless you live or care for someone you don't know the difficulties they have 

You don't see them bathe,  dress , go to toilet   cook , manage finances,  communicate,  interact which are some of the daily tasks they assess 

You need to concentrate on the strength of your own claim , maybe get some expert advice from welfare rights or cab 

How long is it since you got the decision as you can do the mandatory reconsideration ip to 13 months if there is good reason why you didn't do it within the month after decision 

L_Volunteer

Hi @Michaela91

Welcome to Scope's forum. It is great to see you have joined us. How are you today?

Unfortunately, PIP is not an area of my expertise. This means I am hoping someone with more knowledge in this area is able to respond to you soon.

In the meantime, you might find a Citizen's Advice article about appealing PIP useful. If you are interested in exploring this resource, you can find it at https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/appeals/apply-to-tribunal/.

Please let us know if you have any additional questions or need any further clarification though 

poppy123456

Hi,
One thing you really shouldn’t do is compare yourself to someone else. PIP is not awarded based on any diagnosis.
If you’re not happy with the decision you can request the MR. before doing this you should get some expert advice to check you can score enough points needed for an award.  Start here https://advicelocal.uk/

Tori_Scope

A warm welcome to the community from me too @michaela91!

I'm sorry to hear that you were refused PIP previously. As the others have explained, complaining might not be the best route to go down in this case. When did you apply for PIP? I'd definitely encourage you to look into challenging your decision if you feel as though the descriptors apply to you. If you have any questions about this, we'd be happy to answer them  

Tori_Scope

To attach a link, you can either paste the link directly into the comment box, or hyperlink some text @bekindalways.

You can hyperlink text by:

1. Typing the link text, e.g. 'mandatory reconsideration guide'
2. Highlighting the text
3. Clicking the 'URL' icon at the top of the comment box (the one to the right of the smiley face, that looks like a chainlink) 
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I hope that helps!

wilko

Hello you may have read or been told PIP is not awarded on a disability or diagnosis but on you inabilities to cope and manage the PIP descriptors safely and repeatedly and in a timely manner. Taking a self test on the benefits and work site and being brutally honest with your answers will give you a good indication of your chances of being awarded PIP. As another poster has stated have you requested a copy of your assessment report on receiving it you will see why you weren’t awarded any points and if you disagree and have supporting evidence then you may wish to Perdue a mandatory reconsideration of your award if the time limit has not lapsed. You can still appeal but you will need a good reason for the delay.

poppy123456

wilko said:

Taking a self test on the benefits and work site and being brutally honest with your answers will give you a good indication of your chances of being awarded PIP.

It's not in the slightest bit useful unless you fully understand the PIP descriptors and what they mean and few people do.